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Wednesday, 30 October 2013

Guest Book Review: Jane Yeadon - Call Me Sister

Reviewed by Janine Cobain

Who'd have thought a missing bacon rasher and a teaspoon would play a part in advancing someone's career? It's the late '60s and Jane Yeadon has always wanted to be a district nurse. Staff nursing in a ward where she's challenged by an inventory-driven ward sister, she reckons it's time to swap such trivialities for life as a district nurse. Independent thinking is one thing, but Jane's about to find that the drama on district can demand instant reaction; and without hospital back up, she's usually the one having to provide it. She meets a rich cast of patients all determined to follow their own individual star, and goes to Edinburgh where Queen Victoria's Jubilee Institute's nurse training is considered the creme de la creme of the district nursing world. Call Me Sister recalls Jane's challenging and often hilarious route to realising her own particular dream.

If this was a TV series it would be in the 8pm Sunday slot for people who are winding down after the weekend and want easing gently in to Monday. Call Me Sister is made from the memories of the author Jane Yeadon’s while on her training to become a district nurse and the tales were entertaining in parts. Some of the characters on Jane’s rounds were immediately likeable and you could empathise with them but most of the stories were recalled almost without emotion.I felt the writer was detached from the ‘human’ element of these stories and anyone who knows a nurse will recognise this emotional detachment as a coping mechanism they need to stay sane in their vocation but it’s needed in writing to hook the reader.If you have a connection with the swinging 60’s or an interest in nursing this would be more engaging, for me it was a gentle read but it didn’t grip me. Having said that it was very well written and the patients and their surroundings were given life by Jane and my Mum would love it!I'd like to thank Janine for reviewing this book for me and Sophie at ED Public Relations for sending it to us.